Conflict Resolution
by Tekko
Summary: Severus can see that he'll never be more than friends with Lily and turns his focus to his studies. Life never goes the way the Slytherin wants, no matter how determined he is. Rated M
1. Them's the Breaks

**Author's Notes:** Hey-yo! This is yet another request from gaia by nekohimebyha. She wanted a fluff, funny Remus/Severus story which I - well, failed at XD It lightens up in the second chapter, I promise. It'll be two chapters, the second updated sometime in the near future.

Watching the two of them was a torture beyond the idiot 'Marauder's' hexes.

**Summery:** Severus can see that he'll never be more than friends with Lily and swears off love. Unfortunately not everyone is willing to leave him to his own devices. This takes places after the incident with the Whomping Willow and without the Mudblood incident.

**Warnings:** Angst, swearing, male relations.

**Disclaimer:** Not. Mine.

* * *

Even so, Severus found his gaze shifting to the Gryffindor table from his place on the other side of the Great Hall. While Lilly was still happy enough to talk with him (as long as Lucius and the other Pureblood riff-raff weren't hovering and sneering nearby) she had obviously gotten a soft spot for that Potter boy. Even from his position he could see the softness of her smile as she plucked something from Potter's hair, the black haired git grinning and looping his ridiculous gold and red scarf around her neck. The idiot Black was on the other side of her, tugging at the end that had whacked him on the side of the head and engaging Potter in a tug-o-war with Lilly in the middle, laughing even as she shoved at them both.

It was clear. Severus...had lost.

Forcing his gaze back to the bangers and mash whipped into a pile so fluffy it was like eating clouds Severus hacked at the meat, expression set. So he had lost his childhood friend and the love of his life to his worst enemy. So he was surrounded by idiots who thought that following some rambling madman was their ticket to power and control. So his professors were fumbling buffoons, especially Slughorn, who only confirmed Severus's brilliance at potions and defense. None of that mattered.

_I don't need anyone_, he thought crossly, ignoring the snide comments from Lucius and the snickering from George Goyle and Vernate Crabbe. _People are false and cruel. Give me my books; I'll pass the NEWTs with high enough marks to start my own business. I'll go into ward-building, or become a private defense trainer, or Dark Arts detector. Perhaps supply potions on the side_.The thoughts were tinged with bitterness. _Love is out of my reach so money is the next-best thing_.

Plotting out his future Severus refused to look up at the happy couple and their goon companions. He didn't want to see how happy Lilly was without him, or the gloating look that Potter would send his way if he caught Severus watching. He didn't notice the quiet, contemplative look from the least destructive of their group, mild green eyes studying him from across the room.

~.~.~.~.~

Sitting in one of his favorite places on campus Severus held his tome of _Advanced Potions_ on his lap, a lazy breeze coming off of the lake. The tree he sat under was far enough away from the lake that the giant squid tended to leave him alone, so long as his bag, books or limbs weren't beyond the shade of the tree and the side he rested at made him unseen from the castle. The book he had was reading from had more than a little wear and tear, as did the rest of the ones he owned; they were hand-me-downs from the school and were treated to the oh-so _careful_ Potter group on occasion. It was only due to the coolness of the day that Severus was risking studying outside. He often had to rotate his study spots to keep his would-be harassers somewhat at bay.

"Severus. Can we talk?"

The subdue voice made Severus stiffen, head snapping up and looking around in reflex. Remus Lupin was standing before him, his school bag slung over a shoulder. His robes and dusty brown hair hair were in disarray as usual and the empathetic green eyes were fixed on Severus, which only made the Slytherin more suspicious of a trap.

"I've no time for your games today, Lupin," he hissed, half-hiding his book in dark robes. If Potter, Black or Pettigrew were hiding behind the tree to grab for his things Severus would save at least the most valuable of his worn books.

Lupin shook his head, moving as if to take a step forward but halting when Severus curled his legs underneath him, lips drawing back in a silent snarl. "No games. No tricks. I couldn't," the brunet said, pointing to his Prefect badge. "Not that I've ever wanted to torment you the way they do."

"Nor did you do anything to prevent it," Severus snapped. Whatever it was the ragged werewolf wanted, _he_ didn't want to hear it. Snatching up his bag Severus shoved his book into it, looking around again to check for Potter and the other two fools. "I don't know what you want and frankly I don't care. Just stay out of-"

"I'd like to be friends."

Severus felt his jaw drop. Even after it took a few moments before he could pick it up off of the ground and just stare incredulously at Lupin. "You - _what_?"

Obviously the depths of his shock went over the ragged teen's head because he smiled, nodding. "Yes. I've asked Prongs and the others to leave you be and hope - well, hope that it's a start in mending smoldering bridges."

Severus stared. He was set to stand and fix Lupin with a Look long enough that the male would figure out on his own that his suggestion was outrageously foolish. Unfortunately Lupin was either brain-dead or terrible at reading expressions because he just stood there, that quiet smile still in place. "You nearly _killed_ me," Severus said slowly, as if talking to an invalid. Perhaps Lupin's book smarts and affliction made common sense impossible for him. "You and your friends have tormented me ever since you've set foot on Hogwarts' grounds. You've embarrassed and harassed me and have stolen my things, even-" Severus bit his tongue, keeping the words burning in his throat at bay long enough to swallow them back. "Never mind. Just stay away from me."

Turning Severus marched away from the doe-eyed teen who didn't follow or call after him. _Good_, the Slytherin thought fiercely. [i]Let him go back to his friends and tell them how their plot has failed. I'm no such idiot to believe such drivel in our last year.[/i] He refused to look back and see if Lupin lingered, those downward-turned eyes watching his retreat.

~.~.~.~.~

Severus was in the library the second time Lupin approached him. While he enjoyed the cool, quiet atmosphere of the dungeons one got tired of the same stone walls, swimming fish and occasional merpeople peering in through the glass 'windows.' He had claimed a table far from the doors, just past the Restricted Section, Severus's head bowed over his Transfiguration notes. As much as he'd like to immerse himself in Defense Against the Dark Arts and Potions if he wanted to get full marks for his NEWTs it meant putting more effort into the subjects he was less skilled in.

"Mind if I sit here?"

Grinding his teeth together Severus looked up between dark, wavy strands. "Yes," he ground out, making Lupin pause in the middle of drawing back the chair directly across from where Severus sat. "Now go away."

The ragged werewolf sighed, hitching his bag higher up onto his shoulder. "What can I do to convince you of my intentions, Severus?"

"_Don't call me that_."

Lupin drew back and Severus felt a grim satisfaction at the shock he saw there. The expression faded soon enough, features falling back into their usual tired neutrality. "I don't want to offend you," he said quietly. "I just want to get to know you."

"Oh, is that all?" Severus was already shoving his books back into his bag. Obviously Lupin was planning on bothering him no matter what. It looked as if Severus would have to hole himself up in the dungeons, after all. "Just become my friend, earn my trust and pry into every dirty little secret I may have so you can report back to the rest of your idiot troupe? No thank you." Flipping his bag shut Severus rose, moving smoothly around the table and towards the front doors of the library. He was walking past Lupin when a hand dropped onto his shoulder, not firmly enough to hold him in place but making him freeze all the same.

"Severus, please. I'm being nothing but forthright to you."

Severus jerked away from the grasp, spinning to glare at Lupin. "Then _prove_ it!" He was rushing past Irma Pince, assistant librarian, who looked cross enough to hex him. He didn't care. Severus had lost yet another sanctuary thanks to the stubbornness of the ragged werewolf.

~.~.~.~.~

Walking from _Medi-Level Healing_ Severus nearly bounded into a small form that darted in front of him as he exited the classroom. As it was he came close to smacking right into the boy, only a swift side-stepping that made him stumble keeping him from doing so. "Watch where you're going-" Pale lips pulled into a sneer when he saw who it was. "Oh. You. Get out of my way."

Pettigrew was no where near as impressive as the friends he hung out around. He was a small, round boy, with brown hair neater than Lupin's only because it was so thin and a pointed nose. He was squinting as he usually did, looking more like a twitching rat than a teenage boy, hands raised before his chest as if he was ready to protect his head and face should he need to. _How did a sniveling fool like this even get into Gryffindor, let alone Potter's crew?_

"S-sorry."

Brows rising in surprise Severus stared. "What?"

"For everything," the boy continued, wringing his hands together much like the house-elves at the Manor. "Iwon'tbotheryouagain. Bye!" With the words out Pettigrew scurried away, disappearing around a bend in the hall opposite of where he'd come from.

Severus watched him go, mind reeling. That had be the most random and _unexpected_ thing to happen to him. The only thing more shocking would have been Black springing out from behind a suit of armor and declaring his undying love for Severus with Potter playing the harp in white robes and angel's wings.

Slowly, Severus shook his head and turned away, walking quickly to his next class. _So he made the rat apologize_, he thought, slipping past a group of Ravenclaws who had apparently nothing better to do but block passage through the halls. _Or Potter did, to make their plot more convincing. It's not going to keep me from my studies._ It was easy to ignore the quiet, nagging voice in the back of his mind that was less certain of Lupin's insistence on him being an elaborate plot to ensnare him into an unflattering situation. That voice could just _shut it_[.

~.~.~.~.~

"Yo, Snape. We need to talk."

The voice was one that haunted his nightmares and was especially unwelcome from the doorway of the privy, where Severus had just relieved himself. Potter had stepped in and let the door swing shut behind him though Severus doubted that he was alone.

"Out of my way, Potter," he snarled though for all the effect it had he might as well have been a mewling kitten. "This is not the time nor the place for your idiocy."

Potter, curse his stupid spiky head, held his ground. He didn't even have his wand drawn, an advantage that Severus itched to take - but he owed Potter a Life-Debt. Attacking him would only provoke the debt into action and making its claim on half of Severus's magic, as he hadn't made any effort to try and pay the debt off.

"This won't take long." Potter's hazel eyes were blazing - bright and defiant and cocky in a way that Lupin's were not - hair in its usual disarray and a complete contrast to his painfully pressed robes and bone-straight tie. "I'm claiming the Debt."

Severus felt as if the air had been sucked out of the room. His hands grew slick, the hair at the nape of his neck feeling unbearable itchy and robes suffocating. He knew that it was possible for Potter to grow impatient, though he hadn't seemed as if he would make a claim on the Life-Debt before now. Whisking away the love of Severus's life seemed to be enough. "Fine," Severus ground out, back ridged. He would face his executioner with dignity. "What do you want?"

Potter didn't respond right away, instead studying Severus with what looked like a critical eye. If the boy could hear Severus's teeth grinding then he made a good show of ignoring it, nodding to himself. "First, you're going to have a shower every morning. Then you're going to give Moony the chance he's been asking for and hang out with him for the rest of the school year."

For what felt like the hundredth time in a month Severus's felt a shock run through his entire body. The indignation came after. "You mean to dictate my life by-"

"The shower isn't important," Potter said, speaking over him and waving a hand. "So long as you wash your hair everyday. Really, you're a fire hazard with how greasy you let it get."

Severus bristled. "My hygiene and habits are of none of your-"

"It is if you're going to be hanging with Moony-"

"I don't bloody well WANT to-"

"Well you have no choice!" Potter still hadn't drawn his wand but he was near enough to punch Severus if he wanted. When he looked the Slytherin saw that while Potter's hands were curled into fists they relaxed soon enough. fingers curling lightly. "Look, I'm claiming it as part of the Debt so you have to do it, and be _nice_ to him and not the bloody _arse_ that you've insisted on being. That or lose your magic. The choice is yours."

Potter turned and left then, his words clanging and banging against the inside of Severus's skull as he fumed.

~.~.~.~.~

Though he was loathed to do anything Potter had suggested Severus was petrified of the idea of losing his magic because of some stupid Debt. So the next morning Severus showered and washed his hair - grumbling all the while about how doing so more often would dry out his scalp and the fact that he'd need to add something new to his routine to keep it from flaking - picked out the neatest of his two school robes and went up to face the music. Sitting at the Slytherin table and shoveling breakfast Severus found his eyes going not to the deliciously happy couple but to Lupin, who had very little on his palate and ate as if he had room for only a few cracker-sized spot, slowly bringing a small portion of eggs to his mouth to chew. _There was a full moon some days ago,_ Severus thought as he took in the werewolf's appearance. He looked even more ragged and run-down than usual. _Perhaps he's still full from mauling unicorns and pygmy puffs in the forest._

The thought was shaken away a moment later. He knew that Lupin wouldn't have been allowed to roam the forest. Potter and his rag-tag band would have hauled him off to the Shrieking Shack to wait out his transformation and stay with him through the night, though how they did so was still a mystery to Severus.

As breakfast ended and bodies begun to clear from the hall Severus rose, slowly. Potter and his crew were gathering their things though Lupin was a few paces behind. Glancing around to make sure there weren't too many witnesses - at least Lucius and those thunderheads he hung around with had already gone - the dark-haired male made his way to the Gryffindor table, ignoring the suspicious and curious looks from the lingering students. "Lupin."

The werewolf looked up, surprise crossing his features before the same small smile that had pulled at his lips several weeks back touched his face. "Sev- Snape," he corrected, nodding. "How may I help you?"

Severus was ridiculously aware of Potter and Black hovering nearby though he set on ignoring them in favor of getting his Debt paid off. "You wanted to be friends," he sated, lips working around the words. "How?"

The silence that followed his question was immediately unbearable and it was on the tip of Severus's tongue to take it back, to march on out of the Great Hall and deal with his life as a Squib. He was opening his mouth do say so-

And then Lupin smiled.

It wasn't the subdued, quiet smiles that Severus had seen before or the shy half-smiles that he tended to share with Potter. Those green doe eyes lit up and his entire face _changed_, making Lupin actually look like the teenage boy he was rather than the beaten-down man he tended to look like. Then he was rising to his feet and taking up his bag. "I have a free period just before lunch," he said while Severus stared, stunned in the aftermath of such brilliance. "Meet me in the library?"

"I- have class," Severus warned, to which Lupin just nodded.

"That's alright. I'll wait for you."

The werewolf waved and walked off then, Potter looping an arm around his neck and leaning close as if conspiring (_No, Potter wouldn't waste his claim on the Debt to- well, actually, he might_.). It took longer than normal for him to realize Black still lingered, his eyes clouded and hostile as ever. Severus glared and a vein in Black's jaw jumped but all he did with give a short, stiff nod that should have broken his neck and turn away, jogging to catch up with his friends. Severus lingered, watching the trio leave the Great Hall. _Perhaps there isn't more to this than I initially thought_.

~.~.~.~.~

Just as he promised, Lupin was waiting in the library when Severus entered. He found the brown-haired teen at the same table Severus himself had been sitting in when Lupin approached him two weeks ago. As he came up Lupin lifted his head from the book he had been going over, a quiet smile touching his lips. "I'm glad you could make it."

_Not that I had a choice_. Instead of voicing his thoughts Severus set his bag on the table, pulling out a couple of wrapped sandwiches and dropping them in front of the other teen. "If you've been here since your free break you wouldn't have eaten," he said, drawing out the two he had wrapped for himself before sitting down. "Eat."

Severus wasn't looking at the other but he heard the low chuckle, followed by the sound of napkins ruffling as he unwrapped the sandwiches. Severus had no idea what Lupin favored but went heavy on the meat, one a stuffed chicken sandwich with mayo on heavy rye with lettuce and tomato and the other a roast beef sandwich on Hungarian toast with thick gravy. His own was a simple BLT with extra tomato and he took a bite, careful to do so over the napkin as to keep any spillage to a minimum.

They sat in silence for some time, Severus waiting for it to grow irritating or uncomfortable. The most uncomfortable part was the hard back of the chair he sat on. Lupin ate much like he had that morning, taking small bites and chewing each as if having to think about every motion. By the time Severus was nearly finished his second Lupin was barely finished his first, taking the last bite and starting to push the other aside. "Do you not like roast beef?"

Lupin looked up, meeting Severus's gaze before shaking his head. "No, it isn't that. I just find I have less of an appetite after - certain events."

Severus knew what 'certain events' the teen meant but didn't say it aloud. He had been sworn by Dumbledore that he wouldn't tell anyone of Lupin's affliction and he wouldn't risk breaking it because he was careless and some passer-by overheard. "How did it happen?" Though Severus had wanted to be disgusted by it he found himself curious and intrigued. It was more the reaction from the Pureblood Slytherins that made being a werewolf seem like a fate worse than death.

Lupin licked his lips, eyes flickering aside and Severus's curiosity perked even more. "That may be a story for another day," the brunet said and before Severus could argue was moving on. "We'll start with something simpler. Would you mind helping me study for DADA? You're much better at it than I am."

Surprised (and more than a little pleased) Severus agreed, pulling out his own books to find where Lupin was stuck to help. It wasn't a _normal_ start to a friendship by far but it was start. _He's actually more tolerable than I thought without the others around him,_ Severus thought as he explained the Blood-Boiling Curse, heart feeling lighter than he had for years.

~.~.~.~.~

With the excuse of end of term tests coming up Severus found himself meeting Lupin in the library during much of his free time. They would go over studies but the subject matter would also drift, from Lupin's eccentric parents to Severus's dislike of oranges to Quidditch to muggle music. Eventually they begun to meet in other places - spots like the one Severus favored near the lake or that Lupin would settle in the gardens - and got to know one another better without the protection of books, studies and nearby professors. Severus found himself telling the brunet of his broken mother and muggle father, who no one but Lilly knew of.

Lupin listened in silence and even after the words were out Severus didn't feel the all-consuming dread that he thought he would have just a few months ago. He knew some secrets of Lupin's (like how Potter and the others were able to be with him for his transformation) and didn't feel that Lupin would betray him even if they didn't stay on speaking terms once the school year was out.

And then Lupin told him of his Sire.

"He was someone who I trusted dearly," the brunet started, the tone more than the words themselves capturing Severus's attention. "I looked up to him. Over the summer I made a habit of going to see him on the property he owned and sometimes stayed the night. One night I got into a row with my parents." He shook his head, green eyes so sad that Severus's heart clenched. "It was stupid, really. They were worried about me and I thought that I was old enough to do whatever I wished with whoever I wished to do it. I ran away, to his property. It was a full moon." Lupin took a deep breath. "I didn't know he was Bitten."

A chill ran down Severus's spine and it took some working of his jaw to get words to come forth. When they did they were quiet and horse, part of him afraid to hear the answer but needed to know. "How old were you?"

"I hadn't reached my 13th year."

Severus's breath caught but he forced out the next question. "And how did you..."

"Survive?" Lupin looked over at him, a smile that was broken and fleeting flickering to his lips before his eyes went back to the hibernating flower bushes. "Part of me isn't even sure. Rather than maul me he dragged me into the woods between his jaws." There was some shifting and then Lupin lifted his layers, exposing what looked to be the bite from an impossibly wide jaw curving around his chest and ribcage. "I had managed to get hold of my wand and do you know what saved me? [i]Wingardium leviosa.[/i] Lupin gave a humorless laugh. "It was only strong enough to lift his back legs for a few minutes but it was enough to startle him into dropping me. I manged to climb a tree - they can't climb," the brunet added as a side-note, glancing to Severus before turning his attention back to the bare branches. "Claw and bite and howl, yes. Climb? Not at all. So I climbed the nearest tree I could find and clung to a branch with him pacing around it, snarling and howling. My parents had a Child Tracker registered to me but even so the Aurors wait at least 12 hours before activating them on runaway cases for the age I was then. That's been changed since."

Severus sat, eyes narrowed, trying to imagine it. A small, frightened Lupin, bleeding and likely with some broken bones, clinging to a tree and crying for help while someone he trusted wanted nothing more than to rip out his throat.

"What happened to - your friend?"Severus wasn't sure what else to call the man who had changed Lupin's life.

"By the time the Aurors arrived it was well past daylight." The voice that spoke was so flat and dead that Severus winced. "I saw him change before my very eyes. When he realized what he had done, he fled. The property was abandoned." Movement from the corner of his eye alerted Severus to Lupin's shaking head. "Apparently he was unregistered at the Ministry and knew that he would be facing a lifetime in Azkaban and a broken wand and avoiding that fate was more important than making sure I lived."

Severus had nothing to say to that. There was nothing he _could_ say. He couldn't change what had happened nor could he make Lupin's affliction go away with some potion. The bite of a werewolf changed one's DNA and while there were potions that could change one's hair, skin or appearance entirely there was nothing that could permanently alter the human body the way and werewolf or vampire bite could. It was part of what made them so terrifying in the first place to witches and wizards alike.

"Lupin?"

"It's Remus, Severus. That or Moony."

Severus would eat his own tongue before he'd call Lupin - Remus - by such a horrid nickname but didn't say that. "Remus," he started again. "Who was he to you?"

Lupin- Remus was quiet for a moment, just a handful of heartbeats, before he answered. "I was in love with him." The words wee simply stated, much like the way he insisted on Severus calling him by his first name. "I think that he knew it and he never tried anything with me, mind. He was my first love."

Severus looked over at Remus, who looked up with doe-like green eyes and met his own mildly. Severus knew that he could walk away and Remus wouldn't hold it against him. He also knew that doing so might shatter any hope of him achieving true friendships outside of Potter and the others.

Severus huffed. "What a berk. You're better off with him gone."

Remus blinked, his lips pulling into a soft smile that reminded Severus of a rabbit sunbathing on a grassy field. "Yes, I am."

The pair sat together in silence for a while, each considering the words of their companion.

~.~.~.~.~

"Professor Slughorn? May I have a word?"

The man in question looked surprised but replied easily enough. "Of course, my dear boy! What would you like?"

Severus, having waited for the class to empty before approaching his Head of House, schooled his expression into something bright and eager. "Well you see, I think I know what potion I want to present for my finals but I want to have quite a lot of practice..."

~.~.~.~.~

"Here."

Much as he had for the past week Remus took the container handed to him, opening the cap to the potion. "Thank you, Severus." At the impatient motion of his hand Remus laughed, waiting until it had calmed before taking a swallow of the bitter liquid. Severus had shoved it at him 6 days prior, insisting that it would ease his transformation. In truth Lupin [i]did[/i] feel better than he ever had with the full moon on its way and so continued to drink from the metal container, knowing that Severus wouldn't be pleased until it was entirely gone.

With the potion drained Remus handed the container back, which Severus shook before capping. "How do you feel?"

"Well," Remus said. "Usually I spend the week eating nothing but near-raw meat and feeling edgy. I don't feel too different from normal."

Severus nodded, rising to his feet. Remus rose too, lips pulling into a frown. "Leaving already?"

"I just remembered that there's someone I need to talk with," Severus said, giving a half-wave. "I'll see you later."

Remus waved in turn, watching as the Slytherin turned away from the lake to head up to the castle. He couldn't shake the feeling that Severus was avoiding him - but this didn't start until after they'd had their last heartfelt 'talk,' and Severus was helping him by giving him that (disgusting) potion he had been making.

Worrying at his lower lip Remus headed for the castle as well. He would find Prongs and the others and talk to them about Severus's recent behavior; perhaps they would know what to do.

~.~.~.~.~

He didn't find any of his friends before the rest of classes, nor were they at the table for dinner. Sitting next to Molly Prewett he looked over and found no head of dark, silken hair over at the Slytherin table, either. The sign was enough to make him want to rush from the Great Hall to look for his friends but as Prefect he had to tend after the Gryffindor table with his partner.

He also had to trust his friends not to hex one another when he wasn't looking.

By the time dinner was over Remus all but ran to Gryffindor tower, startled when he saw James, Peter and Sirius playing a game of Exploding Snap. "Yo, Moony," Sirius called, waving a hand. "Come join us."

Hesitating at the portrait entrance he was forced to move when a pair of 3rd years came through, taking a seat with his closest friends. Now that they were together his earlier fears seemed silly, though he wouldn't know how Severus was until morning.

With the sun sinking Remus made his way out for 'rounds' as was his job as Prefect. He knew that his friends would follow him to the Whomping Willow some time after he'd gone so as not to raise suspicion under the Invisibility Cloak to spend another night of horrors with him.

As Remus rounded towards the tree he paused, spying the figure of a student standing with his back to him. The robes were black as all of Hogwarts robes were but it was the stance and tumbling thick, dark hair that Remus recognized, followed by the scent of potions clinging to the teen's skin. "Severus? Here to see me off?"

Severus turned, dark eyes appearing to pierce through to Remus's soul. "No," he stated, craning his neck as if to check and see if the Willow was making any moves for them. "I'm here to spend the night with you."

Remus's breath caught. His heart felt as if he tried to leap out of his mouth then go stuck in his throat and he had to swallow - hard - shaking his head all the while. "No, Severus. I won't risk you like that."

Severus smirked, an expression that Remus couldn't recall ever seeing on his face. "And you think that I would risk myself? That potion I've been having you drink was Wolfsbane." At the questioning look Remus sent him the Slytherin continued. "It is a potion made to quell the effects of lycanthropy. You've noticed that your anxiety, hunger, blood lust and- other things have been different from other months?"

Remus nodded, knowing what Severus meant by 'other things.' The onset of the moon made the most primal of emotions run rampant and by this time Remus would have wanked himself raw.

"Then it is working correctly. When the change occurs you will be nor more than a wolf with the mind of a man, not the uncontrollable beast that you would become without the potion."

Remus, stunned, still shook his head. "Padfoot and Prongs and Wormtail will be down. They'll never agree-"

"They won't, and they have." Severus bent then, picking up a rather long branch. "I explained everything to them at the start of your dosage but we had another discussion today. It will be just the two of us tonight." Severus did something that Remus would never have expected; he held out his free hand towards him, fingers extended. "You trusted me to feed you a potion that had every potential of being poisonous. Will you trust me to keep myself safe enough to stay with you?"

The last of the sun's rays were shining across the horizon, setting the grass ablaze in burning orange. Severus had his dark gaze fixed on Remus's own, hand out and steady and looking as if he could hold it that way all night. They didn't have all night, though; Remus had perhaps two hours before the moon climbed high in the sky.

With a trembling heart, unsteady hand and wavering smile Remus closed the distance between them, resting his right hand into Severus's extended left. "Alright," he whispered, terrified and elated. "Let's go."

Severus's smile, when it came, was much like the moon breaking free of dark clouds, pale and bright with darkness at the edges. With a final piercing look Severus turned, edging forward and using the fallen stick to press the knot that would freeze the Whomping Willow and lead the way to the secret passage, darkness before him and darkness pressing in from behind.


	2. Conflict Resolution

**Author's Notes:** Hey-yo! This is the second and final chapter to this story (a Gaia request from_ nekohimebyha_). I hope you enjoy the conclusion to _**Conflict Resolution**_ and please don't forget to tell me what ya'll think. Was it good? Did it suck? Should I quit everything and dedicate my life to HP fanfiction? (Ha! I wish). Let me know and please - enjoy! ^.^

* * *

Severus could honestly say that he had never been more terrified in his life.

He hid it well, or so he thought; from the darting, worried glances and the way Remus tightened his grip to send a reassuring squeeze to the Slytherin's hand his acting might not have been as good as he thought. _Perhaps he can sense my anxiety because it is so near to the peek of the full moon?_ The contact was broken as the passage narrowed, forcing the two teens to crouch and sometimes crawl among the dirt, rocks and roots.

When they reached the end of the seemingly endless passage Remus set down his wand, the lit end throwing the teen into pale lighting. "You have to promise me," he said in a voice so harsh that the hairs on the back of Severus's neck prickled. "That you will escape through here should anything go wrong."

Severus bristled. "Do you think that I would mess up on a potion so important?"

Remus wasn't put-off. His green eyes were serious and steadier than the Slytherin had seen them and eventually he was forced to nod. "Fine. I will stay by the door if it suits you."

"Thank you," Remus said, visibly relaxing. He turned then to the one wooden patch that was at the ceiling of the tunnel's end, pushing it open with one hand before easing himself up. Severus walked over, glancing at the wand who's light was slowly starting to fade and tucked his own into his belt, climbing up after the werewolf.

The first thing he noticed, once his eyes adjusted to the lesser light and wider space, was how much _stuff_ was everywhere. All of it broken to pieces so ragged and jagged that he doubted he could fix them with a _Repairo_. Maybe sixty.

The second thing he noticed was Remus. He looked so - so _small_ standing in the room of broken things, with robes that were too big on him and drooping shoulders. The sandy-haired teen was looking out the window where a view of Hogsmead sat. It was then Severus realized where they were. "This is the Shrieking Shack."

Remus nodded, eyes seemingly fixed to the window. "It is. It isn't so much haunted as it is inhabited by a werewolf and his friends once a month." Remus stiffened and when Severus glanced towards the window again he could see it; the pale shimmer of the moon trying to break through the clouds. Remus was moving, hands dropping to pull off his robes and tossing them near the remains of what the Slytherin thought used to be a table. "You'll drop down the hole?"

"I - yes." Severus frowned, quickly jerking his eyes away from the quickly working fingers. What should he care that Remus was stripping? It's not as if he hadn't seen a nude body besides his own in the showers before. "Believe me when I say I don't want 'eaten alive' as my way to go."

Remus chuckled though it was a bitter sound, only just heard over the rustle of more clothing being pulled off. "Fair enough. I'll trust you to-"

The words were cut short. Forgetting about politeness and modesty Severus turned, heart thumping in his chest, to watch the transformation.

Remus didn't seem to be aware of him anymore. Pale and naked with a stream of moonlight coating his skin Severus saw as his body bent, shoulders and spine bowing forward as if forced by an invisible puppeteer. The sound of a few dozen bones cracking, stretching and growing into existence made Severus grind his teeth in sympathy though Remus didn't scream out at what had to be excruciating pain. It might have been in account to the lips being pulled taunt over an extending jaw, teeth pointing and elongating into terrifying blades of destruction. The most disturbing was the fact that Remus, despite the changes, still looked human. It wasn't until his hands turned to paws, legs elongating and knees forced backwards with a sickening _crunch_ that fur sprouted all over his body, thick and coarse over his new wiry form.

Stomach rolling it was all Severus could do not to throw up. As it was his dropped to his knees, disgust and horror running through his veins. It was in that weakened state that Remus - no longer the doe-eyed, soft-spoken teen by the ferocious werewolf - turned on him. And Severus paused, breath hitching as he stared.

_The eyes..._

In the month and a half of study that it took for him to be able to brew the Wolfbane Potion, Severus had done much research. Every picture, every moving photograph and description of werewolves displayed them as having the feral, golden eyes of a predator. The orbs that were fixed to his own were a soft, mossy green.

Doe eyes. Remus's eyes.

Catching his breath and regaining the strength of his legs Severus slowly rose to his feet, walking cautiously over. The fact that Remus hadn't sprung at him with teeth and claws reaching for soft skin was promising in its own right. It was the eyes that gave the Slytherin the courage to approach a potentially dangerous creature and risk death - or worse yet, infection. "Remus?" Severus kept his voice low, soft, soothing. "Can you hear me? Do you know me?"

The eyes stayed fixed on Severus's as he moved closer, the dark-haired teen only pausing when he was within arm's length. Holding his gaze the werewolf blinked - once, twice, three times - then sat back on his haunches. looking for all the world like a dog waiting for instruction from its owner.

Severus laughed - a short, relieved sound - though when he reached out it was still with caution. No drooling fangs met his hands before it came into contact with the fur-coated chest - as coarse and thick as it looked and nothing like the teen's natural locks - scratching lightly. "I'll stay with you," Severus said quietly, looking up at the werewolf. Even sitting the transformation gave Remus a head height over him. "For the whole night. And every full moon after that, if you'll have me."

In answer the fur-coated head lowered, the werewolf's chin resting on Severus's shoulder. The Slytherin closed his eyes, the last of his tension flowing away. Though Remus couldn't communicate the way that he was used to in werewolf form the Slytherin was sure of two things; Remus had kept his mind, if not his body.

And he would never hurt Severus in his right mind.

~.~.~.~.~

After their night shared at the Shack the gradual friendship that Severus shared with the werewolf changed. He couldn't say if Remus felt the change as well; they continued to meet together under the lakeside tree, in the library, in the gardens. They continued to share more of themselves with one another and joke together. Severus's dry, sarcastic humor was an unexpected delight to the brown-haired teen and often during breaks the two would sit on a sill or outside on the grass with Severus murmuring comments about students passing by ('I don't believe anyone has told Lucia those feathered robes make him look like a erect poodle." "Xenophilius Lovegood. Did you hear he's working on a device to make dreams re-playable? Apparently he's never heard of a Pensive.") with Remus giving a shocked, _"Severus!_" sometimes before being overcome with a fit of laughter. The effect of the light sound was startling to the teen's face - Remus actually looked his age, the weary sadness and sorrow in those doe-like eyes fading away as he gave himself into the moment.

It made Severus feel...good.

The dark-haired Slytherin found himself watching the other more often. During classes, during lunch, walking down the hallways. It turned out that Remus didn't spend as much time with Potter's group as Severus originally thought. When he didn't have first and second-years rushing to him asking for help on one thing or the other and the Idiot Trio wasn't around, he was usually on his own. Even when walking with groups of Gryffindors the werewolf didn't speak unless spoken to, surrounded by students but in his own world of isolation. Severus understood some part of it but it was odd to watch someone who was in the small circle of 'popular' students as such a quiet, studious person.

Remus always passed over beans and peas but would always grab broccoli, when it wasn't the week of his transformation. He was extremely intelligent and exercised it around Severus but never raised his hand when in class, answering only when he was called on. Remus didn't smile often but when he did it was usually with a quiet pleasure that turned moss-green eyes the color of a sun-struck pond, an effect that was amplified when the light hit his lashes _just_ so and turned them into strands of gold, lips curved and closed over white teeth.

Severus was fascinated.

He hadn't ever noticed things like the length of another boy's lashes, or the half-second pauses Remus gave before replying to a question directed at him, or the way he liked to sit with one leg tucked underneath him and the other stretched out when they were on the grass. Remus showed a genuine interest in the Slytherin, as well; more so than that of those in his own House.

"Severus."

Turning at the familiar voice the dark-haired Slytherin arched a brow in mild surprise. He and Remus tended to keep to their own Houses and cohorts during school hours, using the time after classes and some weekends to interact. That the werewolf was approaching him after the Transfiguration class they shared was unusual. Both brows went nearly to his hairline as Remus stopped before him, reaching to fuss with the green and silver tie. "It's crooked," Remus said as he flattened the material down, hand drawing away as he gave the other one of his quiet smiles. "It had been bothering me since class started." There was a clasp at his shoulder, wave and then Remus was walking off, apparently not noticing the curious glances from other students in the hall.

Severus stood for a few moments, the weight and heat of the other's hand following him to his neck class and through lunch.

That one, casual touch seemed to make Severus hyper-aware of the Gryffindor whenever he drew near. Remus would often reach out to brush the powdered remains of potions ingredients from Severus's robes, grasp him by the bicep or elbow when other students cut in front of them, rest a hand on his shoulder in greeting as well as parting. Severus shook the thought away, telling himself that it was something that the werewolf probably did with anyone he considered a close friend. After several days of study, though, Remus only touched two other students; a third-year who had fallen and which he offered a hand to help up and Black, who got a rather wicked-looking jab with a closed fist that made the boy's yelp carry across to the Slytherin table and had half the girls nearby fawning over him like love-struck buffoons.

They were indoors, the days having gotten far too cold to enjoy sitting outside, when Severus shifted his gaze to the brunet. "You're rather hands-on, aren't you."

Remus looked up from where he had been reading. They were in one of the lesser-used corridors on the 4th floor, seated in one of the large windowsills, each going about their studies. It provided a change of scene from the library and there were less people whispering, scraping chairs or coming up to talk to Remus about problems either in with work or just through the day in general. "I'm sorry?"

Severus shrugged. "You're hands-on. Or at least you seem so."

Remus seemed to consider it even though Severus hadn't been asking a question, "I can be, I suppose. Does it bother you?"

"No." The brunet's head tilted at the quick reply. "I mean, it's nothing, really. Just something I've noticed about you."

Remus scooted forward, moving until their bent knees brushed together then closer still. Coal-black eyes widened as moss green ones drew closer, a fleeting question going through Severus's mind before Remus reached out with his book-free hand, tugging lightly at his tie and smoothing it down afterwards. "You're terrible at fixing your tie correctly," the brunet murmured, green eyes sparkling. "Just something I've noticed about you." He sat back then, turning back to his book to resume his reading.

Severus did the same though he couldn't focus on the words. All he could think of was the question that had fluttered through his mind as Remus leaned close, just before the adjustment to his tie. _Is he going to kiss me?_

And the quiet surge of hope that had curled in his belly, followed by cloudy disappointment when the other drew away.

~.~.~.~.~

_I like him._

_I_ like _him._

_I like a_ boy.

In the dorm that he shared with three other boys Severus ran over the events involving he and Remus up to that afternoon. Thoughts were swimming through his mind at a dizzying rate and it took more effort than he thought he had to force them to go in order rather than darting from one to the other like a mad thing. The revelation was singing at the forefront, making his heartbeat quicken and breathing hitch.

So, he liked Remus. Really liked him, possibly as more than a friend. He was in love with Lily, though - beautiful, brilliant Lily who was falling for the very boy she had detested at the start of their years at Hogwarts.

Severus paused. No, thinking of Lily didn't hurt as much as it once had; the wound of her rejecting him had faded into a dull throb, a cut that had scabbed over. Not fully healed but no longer bleeding. When his mind went to her it ached but cut no deeper than before.

When he thought of Remus..

Where as Lily had burned like the sun in his mind Remus was like sitting before a crackling fireplace. Severus could bask in its warmth without fear of getting burned, comforted by its presence.

The sun had been slanting through the window where they sat when Remus leaned forward, lashes gone blond and eyes gone lake-bright. Severus's mind was fixated on the slightly-parted lips and heat pooled at his gut in the way it did when he had been alone in his room thinking of Lily, left with his own thoughts in the night.

_Stop it,_ he scolded himself, rolling onto his side and trying to ignore the hardness swelling between his thighs. _Friends don't wank off thinking of friends._

_It wasn't an issue when it was Lily._

With his eyes clenched shut Severus eventually fell into a fitful sleep, dreams of a gently crackling fire, sun-kissed lashes and lake green eyes haunting him.

~.~.~.~.~

_So. I have a crush._

Sitting in the Great Hall at the Slytherin table Severus nibbled at a piece of toast, mulling over the thought. Remus was with Potter and the others, as usual, apparently lost in his own thoughts. _On a boy I used to hate._ Pausing he gave a slight shake of his head. _Alright, I never really_ hated _him. He's decent company._

As if feeling eyes on him Remus looked up from his plate and across the hall. Severus dropped his own gaze, scowling. _So what? He saw a pathetic boy who he could save from his friend's torment and perhaps befriend, nothing more._

But wasn't it his own assumptions that he and Lily were meant to be together and would, so long as he let her come to the same conclusion on her own? His sitting back and biding his time had possibly cost him her affection - though when he let himself think about it, after the pain of her turning away from him ebbed, he could see the signs that he had allowed himself to ignore before. She didn't think of Severus as more than a friend, the brother that she never had.

The thought didn't hurt as much as it once would have.

So Severus had to make a choice. He could sit back and bid his time, much as he was used to doing, and see what would come of it, or he could be Gryffindor.

Setting down the toast he'd been picking at the dark-haired teen glanced up. Remus either hadn't gone back to his food or had impeccable timing as he met Severus's eyes, raising his free hand in a half-wave. _I'll do what I do best,_ Severus decided as he returned the silent greeting with a nod. _Find out how he feels before revealing anything. The Slytherin way._

~.~.~.~.~

He approached Pettigrew first because he would be the easiest to deal with, though the hardest to get on his own. It seemed that no matter where he went he had Black, Potter or Remus with him, scurrying by their side like a rat following food. It was outside of a lavatory that Severus was finally able to catch the boy on his own, a hand grasping his elbow and hauling him down the corridor. "Pettigrew. A word."

The boy squeaked and squirmed, not quite making enough fuss to draw attention to them. _Good_. Severus wasn't planning on hexing the rat's ears off or anything of the sort though _he_ didn't know that. Pettigrew scurried along with him, barely keeping up with Severus's steps. It wasn't until they had turned down several halls and the breathing of the boy beside him reached an alarming speed that the Slytherin paused, letting the other go so suddenly that the teen nearly fell over. "I want to know what you're planning."

"P-planning?" Severus sneered as he watched the teen rubbing his hands together, an obvious nervous gesture. "W-what do you mean?"

"You. Potter. And Black." Severus made his voice low, the menace in them making the other teen cower. "What are you planning to do with the information R-Lupin has been feeding you?"

The Gryffindor shook his head so rapidly that Severus wondered how his neck didn't snap, words tumbling over one another to break free. "W-we aren't! I mean, that is the say, Moony hasn't told us anything, no matter how often-" He paled, raising slightly curved fingers before him. "It's Padfoot! He's always asking for gossip on you but Moony doesn't give him anything!"

_How did he end up in Gryffindor?_ Severus kept from shaking his head only just. It was amazing, some of the decisions the Hat made. "None at all?"

"No."

"You aren't lying to me?"

"No!"

"Because if you are," Severus continued, his voice as delicate as broken shards of China. "You will be the first one I come after. Not Remus, for betraying me. Not Black, for being the worst of your group. _Yo_u."

Pettigrew looked close to fainting but he nodded, rapidly snapping his neck up and down. "Y-yes, I understand."

"For your sake, I hope so. Go away."

The teen was off in a shot, bolting down the hall and around the first corner. Severus waiting a few moments before following to head back to the main corridors of Hogwarts. _One down,_ he thought, lips pressed into a tight line. _Two to go._

~.~.~.~.~

Black was second because he would be the hardest to confront and Severus's victory over Pettigrew was at its peak. When he wasn't joined to Potter's hip Black was _constantly_ surrounded by girls of all ages. From the wide-eyed, giggling first-years to the seductive seventh-years he seemed to flirt with anyone and everyone, so long as they were attractive. Because of this Severus was forced to approach the teen outside, sitting with a small group who were braving the cold to watch the Gryffindor Quidditch practice. "Black. May I have a word?"

For a moment Severus didn't think that the mutt would leave his adoring flock of jail bait. One girl - a Ravenclaw by her scarf, though Severus wasn't sure what year - practically draped herself over Black's shoulders. "Tell him to go away - we don't need any of _his_ kind here."

Severus bristled, scathing words on the tip of his tongue when Black shrugged the arm away. "I need some air, anyway," he replied, never mind the fact that they were outside with the wind snapping the school flags meters above them. Walking through his hoard Black stepped down from the bleachers and walked off and Severus had little choice but to follow, shoving his own hands into his pockets as much for warmth as to keep a hand on his wand.

Black headed for the Hufflepuff stands, ducking behind it with Severus following cautiously. The dark-haired teen only stood, turned to face the Slytherin with his own hands in his pockets. "What do you want?"

No name-calling. No painful hex. Though his eyes shone with distaste Black didn't react to him the way he would have months ago, though Severus wasn't keen on trusting it. "You haven't taunted, hexed or call me outside of my name for months," he stated, coal-black eyes piercing. "Why?"

Black scowled. "Are you serious? What, do you miss me or something?" He didn't give Severus time to respond, raising a hand in a flippant gesture. "You're friends with Moony. He'd be upset if we bugged you."

Severus let his right brow climb, knowing he looked impressive even if Black would never acknowledge it. "Really? And that's all?"

"Really." Black leaned forward and though there was still several meters of space between them Severus found himself fighting not to step back from the savage look in those gray eyes. "But know that if you _ever_ do anything to hurt, shame or betray him I'll be waiting for you - and I won't be so nice."

"Duly noted," Severus replied in his driest tone. "The same goes for you, of course."

If Black was expecting a retort that one was far from his top twenty. The Pureblood wizard blinked, drawing back as if someone had clapped their hands right under his nose, a look of distrust mingled with an emotion Severus couldn't place seeping into his features. "Right. If that's all." Black turned and walked away without ceremony, breaking into a jog after a few steps. Severus watched until he disappeared from around the stands before turning to walk briskly in the direction he had come from, cold starting to seep into his bones. He was halfway to the dungeons before Severus was able to place the look that Black had given him. He looked - impressed.

_One to go._

~.~.~.~.~

Severus was wrong about one thing; Black wasn't going to be the hardest to confront. Potter was. It wasn't so much because he detested the wild-haired teen or that he thought Potter would sooner hex him than speak with him, after his demands on the Debt. It was due to the fact that when Potter wasn't surrounded by his friends or appealing to fans he was with _her_.

Lily Evans.

Even with his growing feelings for Remus the Slytherin couldn't ignore the fluttering lingerings of his love for her, forced into the background due to her being unattainable. Severus was trying to figure out how to get the teen on his own when, while walking with a group of Slytherins to the Great Hall, Potter approached him. "Yo, Sev. A word?"

Glaring at the teen for a moment the dark-haired boy nodded, moving away from his group to walk with Potter. He knew that the others would be eyeing the Gryffindor with suspicion and when he looked back Bellatrix's dark brows were narrowed, the girl mouthing, "Should we follow?" While a hand fingered the end of her wand. With a pool of satisfaction warming his gut Severus gave a slight shake of his head and the group moved on, not appearing to be entirely satisfied but knowing one of their own wouldn't put themselves into unfavorable situations without cause.

They didn't go far; Potter simply walked mid-way down the hall, which was clearing out with students heading for lunch. When the last of the students were gone the hazel-eyed boy nodded. "So Wormtail and Padfoot said you had a chat with them," the teen started, leaning against a stone wall in a casual motion. "I'm guessing I'm next on your list. Am I right?"

Well, that did make things easier. Nodding in turn Severus got to the point. "I want to know your real reasoning behind forcing me to be Lupin's friend."

Potter cocked his head as if to mimic a curious bird. "Force you? I didn't force you to do anything."

"You gave me _no choice_." Severus all but hissed the words, fingers curling into fists. "It was that or lose my magic and _nothing_ is worth more than that, short of my life."

The Gryffindor looked unfazed, arms crossing over his chest. _Why do people so often confuse courage with stupidity?_ Severus thought, mind going over a half-dozen hexes he could get in before the teen would be able to react. "So you're saying that you don't enjoy his company?"

"I- of course not. Of your idiot bunch he's the most tolerable and unlike _any_ of you, Remus has the intelligence worthy of my company- what's so funny?" Severus snapped, taking in the slowly growing grin coming from the Gryffindor.

"Oh, nothing, just a thought," Potter said as he straightened. "He wanted to."

"What?"

"To be your friend," Potter explained. "He didn't ask me to use the Debt to do it but I figured that was the only way to get you to stop being such a git and give Moony a chance. He's better than any of us deserve," Potter said, lashes lowering and eyes going dark in a way Severus didn't understand. "He was dealt a bad hand but that wasn't any fault of his own. He deserves everything he wants."

"I agree," Severus replied, causing the other to start. "Which is why I wish to remain in his company. Is that really your only reasoning behind it?"

Potter eyed him and apparently found him lacking. At the slight head-shake Severus felt his spine stiffen. "For someone so smart you're not too bright when it comes to the people around you, huh."

The Slytherin glared. "_Explain_."

"What, and ruin the fun?" The grin seemed to widen though Severus hadn't thought it was possible. "No way. You'll figure it out soon enough, I'm sure." As the dark-haired teen walked past he raised a hand to pat Severus's shoulder. "It's right under that big nose of yours, Sev. You only need to look down to notice." Potter walked off, leaving Severus with no more answers than he had before and thoughts clanging uselessly against the walls of his mind, wondering what Potter could have meant by those parting words.

_Wanker._

~.~.~.~.~

With the questions he most needed answers to answered Severus thought that he could move on with the second phase of his plan; Operation Wooing the Werewolf.

It wasn't going to be easy or necessarily enjoyable. The fact was that Severus had no idea how to start at all. He was off to the library as soon as class let out for lunch, picking up _Potions for Finding One's Healing Place, Tough Transfiguration Techniques_ and _Fool's Gold: Party Tricks to Entertain Family and Friends!_ and made sure to pass the magazine section, glancing around before quickly snatching up two issues of _Witch Weekly_ to shove between the large texts he had grabbed.

Finding an empty seat wasn't a hard feat ; with most of Hogwarts dining in the Great Hall Severus was able to get his usual table, depositing the books onto it before dropping into the seat. Giving another discreet look around the Slytherin opened two of the texts flat on the table, using the last as a shield and propped upright in front of him before turning his attention to the first of the magazines.

The first one turned out to be a waste; the topics ranged from matching the right lipstick to one's skin-tone and getting dresses for one's body type to 'drive wizards wild.' After skimming the index and flipping though Severus tossed the paperback aside with disgust. _Somehow I doubt Remus would find my legs in a mini-skirt at all appealing._

The second magazine was a bit more interesting. After getting past the drivel ('_Charm your way into your admirer's heart!' 'Accessories to bring a sparkle to your eyes and a spark in your love life!_') Severus came across a quiz.

'_Want to know if you and your crush are meant to be? Take this quiz! Once you have your answers ask your crush the questions on the following page and and find out how compatible you are! Results are 100% accurate.'_

_100% accurate my arse_, Severus thought, frowning. Even so, curiosity nipped at his heels and soon enough the dark-haired teen had his notebook open, writing down his answers to the quiz and the letters corresponding with them. At the bottom were instructions on how to figure out where he ranked and when he finished - a B - the Slytherin read what was supposed to be his personality diagnostic.

_'Quiet, reserved and very intelligent, you seek one who can be your equal. You tend to obsess over things that interest you and protect those you care for with everything you have. Sometimes seen as a social outcast you have a big heart - it only takes the right person to come along and see how special you are to be let in!'_

Severus blinked, then reread the print. _Huh. That isn't...entirely inaccurate._ Glancing to the second page Severus chewed lightly at the inside of his cheek. _I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try._

"Severus, there you are."

Jerking Severus nearly sent both the magazine and the book he had been using to hide it flying. He had gotten so drawn into the text that he didn't notice Remus's approach and schooled his features into a neutral expression, carefully shifting the book so that it laid open over the magazine. "Remus," he said by way of greeting. "What brings you here during lunch?"

The werewolf gave one of his quiet smiles as he set a wrapped package near Severus's right hand. It looked to be a pair of rolls and only then did Severus notice his hunger. "I finished," he said simply, settling in the chair across from Severus. "I didn't see you in the Hall so I figured you were here and lost track of the time."

A warm, squirmy bubble of pleasure curled in Severus's gut as he took up the rolls, breaking one open with his other hand. "Beef," he said quietly, gaze flickering from the stuffed bread to the werewolf. "It's my favorite."

Remus folded his hands on the table without moving to take out any books of his own. "Oh, really? That's good to know."

Eyeing the brunet teen with suspicion Severus eventually gave in to the gnawing at his stomach, biting into the bread and mildly sweet meat. Neither boy spoke but Severus was fine with the silence, using the time to eye the werewolf from under a dark curtain of hair. "So Remus," he said after he had finished the first roll, a hand toying with the napkin still holding the second. "How do you like to spend your spare time? Do you use it for reading, sports, catching up with friends, being alone?..." The first of the half-dozen questions under the Compatible Crush Quiz came out so casually that Severus would have patted himself on the back, if he was one for doing such things.

"Hm, those all touch on my interests, actually."

Severus blinked. "What? You're into sports?"

The other teen nodded. "Not as much as Padfoot or Prongs but I do enjoy it. Most of the time I usually end up reading."

Nodding sagely Severus picked up his quill jotting the answer down while using his other hand to bring the roll to his lips. "Hm. What do you like to read? Horror or action, fiction or fact?"

Remus laughed and when Severus looked up there was the makings of a flush on his cheeks. "I'm rather fond of romance, actually."

The Slytherin stared. "No. Seriously? _Romance_?"

"Truly. My mother has a collection back home - I nick whichever she isn't reading and hide out in my room to read." He laughed again, a quiet, breathy sound that make Severus's lips twitch in turn. "I think she's on to me, though. She keeps all the best ones hidden away."

"I would have never guessed that about you," Severus murmured in a tone he'd never used before and quickly shifted his gaze to his notes when Remus peered at him. _Reads alone, likes romance._

It was there Severus got stuck, quill poised over the page; he hadn't read more than the two questions and therefore didn't know what came next. It would look too suspicious if he were to peek under the text sitting on the magazine and he had no real reason to send Remus away so that he could read them over. _Just come up with something to ask,_ Severus told himself. _Anything!_ "Is there someone that you like at Hogwarts?" _Brain! You bloody arse!_

All but swallowing his tongue Severus looked up and nearly winced. Remus had gone quite still, his green eyes fixed on the feathers of the quill held between the Slytherin's fingers. After a moment the werewolf seemed to breathe again and sat back in his chair. "There is, actually."

"There is?" Severus hadn't been expecting an answer - to be told to sod off, yes, but not a yes or no to his question. Heart giving a curiously heavy thump Severus continued to write, pretending to be taking notes on something else while really giving his hand something to do so that he didn't crush the roll between his fingers. "Does she know?"

The pause between the question and answer was shorter than before, though abrupt. "I don't think so." Suddenly the brunet was on his feet, picking up his bag from where he'd dropped it. "I'll see you around, Severus," he said and had turned and started striding away before Severus could reply.

His heart gave another, heavy thump.

Shortly after Remus's departure Severus returned the texts, leaving the magazines behind. He no longer needed them - Remus gave him the answer that he was looking for. Not only was Remus interested in someone - the idea made Severus's blood heat with jealousy - but a girl. _Probably Ravenclaw,_ Severus thought, recalling the brunet's likes and interests.

Disheartened that his second attempt at love had ended in failure the Slytherin made his way out of the library to go to his rooms. He didn't care if he missed his afternoon classes; an evening to wallow in sorrow was what he needed.

~.~.~.~.~

Winter holidays were a few weeks away and Severus had spent the last week and a half practically living in the dungeons. He left for classes but most meals he asked one of the castle's house-elves to bring him food, the creatures squeaking and bowing and hastening to do so without complaint. Severus was leaving Professor Binn's class, his head bowed as he tried to get his bag closed while falling behind from the rest of the students leaving, when two figures swooped to either of his sides, grasping him at either elbows.

Starting his bag and its contents fell to the ground, the cracking sound of glass breaking reaching his ears while books and notes went tumbling. "Potter! Black! Let go or so help me-"

"_Stupify_!"

The hissed curse hit Severus and the world went black.

~.~.~.~.~

The first thing Severus noticed as he came to was that wherever he was, it was quite comfortable.

Dark eyes snapped open. _Potter!_

Looking around Severus hesitated, taking in his surroundings. He looked to be in a common room of some sort, though he had no idea how Potter and Black (_More like_ dead _and_ even deader) would have gotten him into the Gryffindor common room in the first place without raising suspicion.

The longer he looked, the surer he became; the tapestries on the wall were red with gold lions on them, the couch in which he laid on done with gold and red cushions. There was a fire burning in the hearth, a pleasant warmth stretching through the room which, when Severus sat up, wasn't as big as he was expecting.

_Hold on._ Severus frowned, giving the room another look around. There was the couch he sat on and two high-back chairs, a throw-rug, a some other odds and ends. There was only one door that he could see and when he rose to try tugging on it Severus found it, unsurprisingly, locked. Pacing the room proved useless in finding either his bag or his wand. _Merlin's wrinkled arse I'm going to murder them!_

Severus spun to pace before the fire, hands curling and uncurling into fists, when the door suddenly swung open. Before he could step towards it a figure was pushed inside and the door shut behind him, locking them both inside.

Rather than beating on the door and cursing their captures the way Severus would have done Remus simply dusted himself off and looked around. "Curious. It looks just like the common room," he said, eyes finding Severus soon enough. The two stood staring at one another, one as tense as a cat and the other mildly observing, only the sound of the crackling fire going through the room. When Remus spoke again it was with a voice gone soft, the flickering firelight causing his eyes to look as deep as swamp water. "Severus. Why have you been avoiding me?"

Turning his attention to the fire Severus crossed his arms. "I haven't," he said but the words sounded like a lie to his own ears so he doubted that the Gryffindor would buy it. Looking over his shoulder he glared at the other still standing near the door, as patient as a mountain. "I was taking up all of your free time. It didn't seem fair."

"That's not it," Remus said, ignoring the way Severus scowled as he started towards the Slytherin. "This didn't start until after our conversation in the library. Did I offend you?"

_Bollocks._ "It was nothing you did," Severus replied, voice low. Even with as annoyed as he was with himself he couldn't snap at Remus. It wasn't so much that the other might take offence as it was he would fix Severus with one of those long, steady looks that made him want to act more mature. "It was my own fault for being hopeful."

"Hopeful?" A hand rested lightly on Severus's shoulder and he bowed his head, eyes closing. No, he couldn't get upset with Remus for not knowing - it was Severus's own fault for not sticking with his initial plan of action after Lily. "What did you hope for?"

_I may as well finish the way I started this - foolishly._ Turning and opening his eyes to face the other Remus's hand fell away, though he didn't step back. "That you might have been interested in me for more than just friendship," he said, voice tainted with bitterness like dark coffee. "That you liked me. Romantically." It was all he could do not to spit, turning away despite the promise made to himself. "Idiotic, I know."

"No, Severus," the brunet whispered and the dark-haired teen couldn't bring himself to look at the other, even when a hand coaxed his head around. A blurring of color in his peripheral vision was the only warning he got before something warm, slightly damp and a little chapped pressed to his lips, coal-black eyes snapping straight to see half-lidded green pools watching him from hardly inches away. Severus stood, frozen as Remus held their lips together and even after he drew away, the brunet still watching him. "Was that being too bold?"

On its own Severus's tongue ran over his lips, still tingling from the earlier contact. _He kissed me. He KISSED me. My first kiss and it's with a boy. A Gryffindor at that._

Tongue running over his lips again Severus considered. "Not _too_ bold," he said, drawling out the words. "Though it wasn't anything to write home about, either."

Remus's face lit up for the second time since Severus begun his friendship with the werewolf - the green eyes sparkled, face lighting up and _changing_ so much that the Slytherin could only blink and be dazed. "Well," Remus said, moving the hand from where he had been holding the pale teen's jaw to curl at the nap of his neck. "I will try harder, next time."

Next time turned out to be sooner than Severus dared hoped.

~.~.~.~.~

"Ah- ah! Severus-"

One kiss had led to another, which had led to several more, which had led to a dozen others. Somehow the boys ended up sprawled on the couch, Severus fighting to be on top while Remus pretended to fight then gave way, stripped to their pants and coated in a sheen of sweat. Severus found that the werewolf was especially sensitive behind his ears and along his collarbone and was taking full advantage, settled snuggly on the teen's abdomen with his rear grinding over Remus's groin. As he grazed his teeth along the slightly salty skin Remus groaned, hips jerking upward and head tossed-back in a pose of such utter surrender that made Severus want to fuck him right there.

"Bloody - fucking - Potter," he hissed between nipping teeth, each bite sending a jolt through Remus. "Wish we had wands."

It seemed to take a while for the words to reach Remus, who was rather distracted. "Don't - need wands," the teen gasped, entire body shuddering. "Oh - S-Severus, wait, let me up."

Though Remus hadn't pushed at him and the breathless tone didn't make the Slytherin think he _really_ wanted him to stop Severus did so anyway, a smug grin of satisfaction pulling at his lips at the Gryffindor's groan of loss. Remus lay panting for some moments before moving as if to sit up and Severus scooted back, moving until he was on the other end of the couch and Remus's legs were free, cock tenting the front of his pants.

"I've - never done this with someone watching," the teen murmured as he hooked his thumbs into the waistband of the cotton pants, eyes as dark as midnight watching eagerly. "So don't make fun, alright?"

Severus started to reply but Remus pulled off the pants and let his swollen cock spring free, it swaying perversely. Severus had to swallow more than once to get enough moisture in his mouth to speak. "I have no idea how you think I would be able to do such a thing."

With a flush staining his cheeks and running down his chest Remus brought a hand to his mouth, sticking three fingers in. The sight - and thought of what the other was possibly planning - made the Slytherin's balls tighten dangerously and he had to close his eyes, forcing his breathing to steady. When he opened them again it was to Remus spreading his legs, left throwing itself over the back of the couch and the right bracing itself on the ground, those saliva-slick digits moving to his entrance.

Severus watched, transfixed, as the fingers teased the barely-seen puckered hole with swiping presses that didn't quite breech him. Then two of the digits curled and Remus pushed one inside, letting out a huff of breath. "Haven't - done this for - for a while," he breathed, sliding the finger slowly in and out for some time before trying for a second. Severus couldn't even look up to see if there was discomfort on his face. His mind kept repeating _'haven't done this for a while'_ and bringing the thought of Remus, the curtains drawn around his bed, finger-fucking himself while the rest of his rag-tag group slept on around him. It was enough to pull a groan from him, one that was mirrored when the teen inserted a third finger.

The pants were far too constricting. Severus all but ripped them off, his pale cock flushed and throbbing in anticipation, all but drooling as he watched the fingers pump in and out of Remus, his hips starting to rock with each thrust.

"S-Severus!" He didn't think the brunet meant it to come out the way it did, in a half-shouted moan but it most certainly got his attention. Remus's green eyes were like a forest canopy at night, lips parted as he panted. "It won't - be enough - you need, need to-"

Though Remus's twisting fingers ripped the words away Severus got the gist. Moving with unsteady legs Severus climbed up the length of the couch until his knees were on either side of Remus's head, a hand guiding the head of his cock to those parted lips. "Suck."

He hadn't needed to give the instruction; Remus had already opened his mouth, the hand that wasn't half-buried in his own arse resting on Severus's hips to bring his flushed cock closer. The first touch of the wet warmth of Remus's mouth made the Slytherin give a harsh, wordless cry and the thought of choking the other and having his friends skin him alive was all that kept the dark-haired teen from thrusting away, instead letting Remus's tongue bathe the sensitive skin with his saliva.

All too soon Remus had both hands at Severus's hips, urging him up. The bone-deep yearning that went through him when Severus drew his hips back was replaced with a soul-deep _need_ as he realized what was to come, scooting back so that he could position himself between Remus's thighs, lining his cock up with the stretched hole. "I can't promise this won't hurt," Severus found himself saying, throat dry.

Remus raised his legs, wrapping them around Severus's hips and raised his arms to brace them against the side of couch. Severus wasn't sure why until Remus raised his hips and _slammed_ them downward, the tightened thighs giving him no option but to take it.

"Oh," Severus breathed, vision gone brilliant and body taunt. "_Oh_."

"Severus, please, move-"

The words hardly left the werewolf before Severus was doing just that, drawing back the short distance that Remus's legs allowed before slamming back in again. It was uncoordinated; Severus was draw back while Remus tried to follow the same movement, the dark-haired teen at times getting two shallow thrusts in while Remus was pushing down - and by the time they got something close to a rhythm going Severus's sacs were tightening, Remus's arsehole was tightening and their bodies fell into the primal jerking and shuddering of orgasm, cries of pleasure echoing through the room. Panting and drained of every ounce of energy he had Severus flopped, aiming for the spot between Remus and couch but half-landing on the werewolf's shoulder, resulting in yelping and squirming until they were both comfortable.

Severus was half-draped over the werewolf like a living blanket with one arm tucked under his cheek and the other, along with his left leg, thrown over the teen's form. Remus had shifted so that he was laying facing the Slytherin, nose bumping the underside of Severus's when he shifted closer and draped an arm over his waist. "I wouldn't have thought you'd be into cuddling."

"I believe this is referred to as snuggling," Severus replied, unable to make his voice quite as dry as he could normally manage. Actually, it wasn't dry at all; his tone was thick with satisfaction like honey on the tongue. "It is rather...pleasant."

Remus sighed, breath puffing warmly at Severus's throat. "Good. I plan for us to spend a fair amount of time doing it."

The Slytherin gave a non-commenting grunt, the feeling of lazy contentment seeping into his bones. He didn't know why the werewolf found such interest in him, nor why Potter had set it as his goal to push them together. Severus knew one thing, though; Remus was special and dear to him and it would take more than the disapproval of Slytherin House or those thunder-headed friends of Remus's to make him leave.

"So," the dark haired teen murmured, fingers curling around the werewolf's hip. "When do you think Potter will let us out?"

The silence that followed was _not_ promising.

~.~.~.~.~

Sirius scowled at the warded door, kicking at nothing in particular. "This plan of yours had better work," he said, hands shoved into the pockets of the trousers he wore under his school robes. "How can you trust that greasy git not to hurt Moony?"

"They aren't gonna come to blows." Sirius rolled his eyes at James, who was pressing his ear as near as the wards would allow. Never mind that he had put the Silencing Charm up himself. "Moony's been in a right state since Snape started ignoring him. This way they can talk."

"Riiiiight," Sirius drawled, turning away. "Well I'll leave you to it. I don't want to be anywhere near here when snake-breath and Moony come out looking for blood."

"What kind of friend are you?" James called at Sirius's retreating back, watching at the other made his way to the staircase. With Sirius out of sight the ruffle-haired teen turned his attention to the items set by the warded door; Remus and Snape's items. He disillusioned the items, setting the charm to break when the timer on the wards on the door went off in an hour. With that done James cast a salute to the closed door, heading for the stairs.

No, he didn't know how well Snape and one of his best friends would get on. He _did_ know that, for Merlin-knew-what reason, that Remus was interested in the greasy-haired git (who had taken his advice in the daily care, thank heavens) in a more-than-friends way. And with Snape distracted with Remus...

James grinned, breaking into a jog. _Maybe when Lils sees how happy the big-nose git is, she'll pay more attention to me than worrying about him._ Taking the stairs two at a time James hummed to himself, pleased with the turnout to his plotting.


End file.
